Why is Christian Pulisic not playing today for United States against Peru in 2026 International friendly?

Christian Pulisic will miss the United States’ first match of the post-2026 World Cup era when the national team faces Peru on Saturday, September 26. His absence has attracted plenty of attention given his importance to the team, but there is a broader explanation for why the Milan forward is not involved in this international window.

The United States is beginning a new cycle at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, while Peru is also rebuilding after failing to qualify for the World Cup. With several established American players missing, Mauricio Pochettino has a chance to assess a much younger group before the national team faces Chile, Mexico and Canada.

The 28-year-old is far from the only established American player absent from the squad. Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun were also left out, while Ricardo Pepi withdrew after suffering an injury with PSV. The result is a markedly different squad from the one that represented the United States at the World Cup.

The USMNT enters the match after a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16, while Pochettino has remained in charge after signing a new contract through 2030. The national team has also lost three of its last four friendlies, making the Peru match an opportunity to begin the next cycle with a different group and approach.

Why is Christian Pulisic not playing against Peru?

Pulisic was left out of Pochettino’s 28-player squad for the September and October international window. The decision comes after the forward suffered an injury during the World Cup and subsequently spent time building his fitness, although he had returned to action for Milan before the international break.

Pochettino has indicated that the decision is part of his approach to evaluating the squad at the beginning of a new cycle. The United States coach told reporters: “The 28 players that are going to be involved in these four games, for different circumstances, are the best players we want to see and we want to work with, and that’s it.”

The manager also made clear that he did not want the first camp of the new cycle to become a discussion about individual omissions. Pochettino added: “There is no point now in the first camp of this new cycle to start to explain why one player [is on the roster] and not another. Because if not, maybe we will spend an hour here.”

Pulisic still in search of rhythm after World Cup injury

Pulisic’s absence is also connected to his fitness after the injury that disrupted his 2026 World Cup campaign. Reports have described the problem as a leg microfracture, with the forward gradually increasing his workload and minutes as he returned to action with Milan. The 28-year-old initially remained an unused substitute in Milan’s first three Serie A matches of the season before featuring in the club’s following games.

He then scored his first goal of the season in a 3-0 victory over Lecce on September 20, showing that his club comeback was progressing. That return, however, did not lead to an immediate recall by Pochettino. The decision gives Pulisic additional time to continue his recovery while the United States manager assesses players who are being introduced into the national team setup.

Pulisic remains an important part of the United States’ long-term plans, having collected 90 international caps and 33 goals. His absence against Peru therefore represents a temporary change in Pochettino’s selection rather than an indication that the Milan forward has been removed from the national team’s future plans.